


bruises

by stardustgirl



Series: Whumptober 2018 [5]
Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: AU of an AU, Angst, Bruises, Ezra’s not the nicest person in the AU, Hurt Ezra Bridger, Imperial AU, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Drug Use by Minors, Implied/Referenced Slavery, Slight beating, So much angst, Whumptober, Whumptober 2018, but that still doesn’t mean he deserves all of this, rip Ezra, slight electrocution
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-10
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-07-28 21:19:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16250003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stardustgirl/pseuds/stardustgirl
Summary: He took his chance and bolted, cursing his limp as he stumbled off of the back street and into an alley, hurrying out of it before emerging onto a main street.|~~~|Being under Imperial guardianship doesn’t always guarantee your safety.





	bruises

**Author's Note:**

> TW: Beating, Electrocution

It was after watching the HoloNet News and hearing the announcement of the Lasat’s capture—part of a rebel cell if he’d heard correctly, but he also hadn’t paid much attention to the broadcast as per usual. The usual ‘trooper came to retrieve him for testing and he went without argument, standing and walking to the door compliantly. They’d made it about halfway to the dealer’s building when it happened.  
There was a single shot, and a glance back revealed the ‘trooper with a smoking hole in his chest. Within moments, he crumpled.  
Ezra didn’t bother looking for who had made the shot, instead simply bolting.  
He heard the low thud of a grenade launcher, dodging to avoid it.  
Too late.  
The electronet hit him square in the back, knocking him to the back and almost immediately sparking. He cried out, convulsing briefly before the rush of electricity stopped as suddenly as it began. Panting, he remained on the ground motionless aside from a faint tremor that wracked his body.  
Footsteps came closer to him before they stopped directly in his line of vision. A rough hand pulled him up by his chin, twisting it from side to side as they studied him. A helmet and cloak prevented him from identifying them, but he already had a pretty good idea who it was.  
“So you’re the petty thief from a couple years ago. Looks like we’ve finally caught up with you.” The voice was masculine, and Ezra recognized it in a second. Swallowing, he jerked his head out of the man’s grip, pulling his lips back in a snarl as he spoke.  
“You can’t touch me. I’m in the Care System.”  
The man snorted. “Doesn’t look like that stopped me with your buckethead friend back there.” He gestured to the ‘trooper, a faint smirk coloring his voice as he continued. “If you’re in the Systems, that’ll just make this easier. No loose ends to tie up.” His captor grabbed his chin again, twisting it violently upward as Ezra cried out. “You still owe us a debt for what you stole. And I know someone who’ll pay good money for a—“  
He kicked out, catching the man in the shin as he struggled against the electronet, finding an edge to lift up as the man cursed in a language Ezra wasn’t familiar with. He started to lift up the edge of the net, wincing as he squirmed out. Almost free, almost out and then he wo—  
Electricity surged through the net again and he screamed, convulsing again even as the charge stopped and the man kicked him hard in the back. He cried out again, starting to curl in on himself just as the man delivered another harsh kick to his stomach.  
The man lowered himself, speaking quietly in Ezra’s ear even as he tried to pull away. “Do I need to tranquilize you or do you have the sense to know when to stop, loth-rat?” He nodded weakly.  
“You- you don’t.”  
“Good.” The man straightened, kicking Ezra again. “Now get up, and let’s go.”  
He staggered to his feet, wincing and watching in silence as the man bent to gather up the electronet. A quick glance confirmed that the grenade launcher was several meters away.  
He took his chance and bolted, cursing his limp as he stumbled off of the back street and into an alley, hurrying out of it before emerging onto a main street. Glancing around, he spotted a couple of ‘troopers patrolling and limp-ran up to them, sweat shining on his forehead.  
“Sir...ID zero seven sixty, given Ezra...I’m in the Systems, there’s- there’s a slaver that way, and- and he doesn’t have a permit, he tried- he shot the ‘trooper escorting me to testing—“  
“Slow down, kid.” The ‘troopers stopped and looked down at him. “A slaver?”  
“Yea- yeah, he tried to capture me- to sell me, said he didn’t- he didn’t care I was in the Systems, mentioned nothing about a permit—“  
“Alright. You’ll just skip your testing for the day and make it up tomorrow. Or whatever your caretaker decides. C’mon.” The ‘troopers nudged him in front of them and he swallowed before easily moving ahead, leading the way back to the Complex.

It was hours later, after he’d explained the situation and why there was a dead ‘trooper on the street to the caretaker and he was sent to his room without dinner—why he was punished he had no idea, but he was used to it by now—that the others began to question him.  
He was removing his shirt, changing into the sleepwear that’d been through at least 10 years at the Academy already when there was a gasp and quiet, excited murmuring. Ezra turned, already glaring at the perpetrator.  
“What?”  
“Your...your back. It’s bruised.”  
He shrugged. “So?” He turned away and the conversation petered out.  
Nobody else in the Systems bothered bringing up any injuries he had again.

**Author's Note:**

> So I know I put Zeb in the tags but whether or not that was actually Zeb I’ll leave for you to decide :)


End file.
